A Test of Job Demands-Resources Theory: Organizational Citizenship Behavior in a Carceral Setting

• Published date: 01 April 2024
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/00938548241227550
• Author: Katherine E. Rankin,Kassandra Cordero Treston
• Date: 01 April 2024

CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND BEHAVIOR, 2024, Vol. 51, No. 4, April 2024, 552 –568.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/00938548241227550

Article reuse guidelines: sagepub.com/journals-permissions

© 2024 International Association for Correctional and Forensic Psychology

552

A TEST OF JOB DEMANDS-RESOURCES

THEORY

Organizational Citizenship Behavior in a Carceral

Setting

KATHERINE E. RANKIN

University of Cincinnati

KASSANDRA CORDERO TRESTON

University of Central Florida

Organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), or behavior that goes above and beyond the call of duty, is believed to lead to a

better functioning organization. The goal of this article was to examine workplace factors that may be associated with OCB

among correctional officers using existing scholarship and the job demands-resources theory as a framework. Understanding

how to foster OCB in correctional officers, in an era of high levels of dissatisfaction and turnover, is critical for creating a

well-functioning prison agency. A sample of correctional officers from Texas and Massachusetts were surveyed for the cur-

rent study (n = 442). Initial findings indicate some support for the applicability of job demands-resources theory to OCB.

Specifically, both leadership support (β = .28, p < .001) and coworker support (β = .12, p < .01) were significantly and

positively associated with OCB.

Keywords: correctional officers; corrections; stress; psychology; behavior

For decades, literature outside of the criminal justice field has focused on the well-being

of workers and how organizations can better support their staff to contribute to a more

successful operating organization (Bateman & Organ, 1983; Muchinsky, 1987). However,

criminal justice organizations have only recently started paying attention to the well-being

of staff (Miller et al., 2022; Purba & Demou, 2019; Ricciardelli & Power, 2020; Trounson

et al., 2019). This kind of research is critical in an era where high rates of incarceration are

paired with staff shortages and high levels of turnover (Carter, 2022), and absenteeism

(Lambert, 2001).

AUTHORS’ NOTE: We have no conflicts of interest to disclose. Correspondence concerning this article

should be addressed to Katherine E. Rankin, Doctoral Student, School of Criminal Justice, University of

Cincinnati, 2610 University Circle, Cincinnati, OH 45221-002; e-mail: rankinkn@mail.uc.edu.

1227550CJBXXX10.1177/00938548241227550Criminal Justice and BehaviorRankin, Cordero Treston / A Test of Job Demands-Resources

research-article2024

Rankin, Cordero Treston / A TEST OF JOB DEMANDS-RESOURCES 553

Working in a corrections, police, or probation agency presents unique demands on the

worker and often employees in these organizations suffer higher levels of job stress and

burnout compared with peers working in other fields (Cheek & Miller, 1983). According to

the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor,

2022), correctional officers’ workplaces can be stressful and dangerous, with one of the

highest rates of injury and illness of all other occupations. Due to the unique demands and

stressors that occur while working in a carceral setting, a growing body of literature has

examined the factors that affect and influence staff members (Ellison & Caudill, 2020;

Garland et al., 2012; Hogan et al., 2013; Lambert et al., 2010).

Correctional work, specifically, is perceived as stressful both by those in and outside of

the profession, with an underlying assumption that working with a criminal population

coupled with harsh work conditions—shift work, long hours, and mandatory overtime—

fuel higher stress levels (Ojedokun & Idemudia, 2014; Thurston-Snoha & Mora, 2011). Of

the existing scholarship on correctional officer attitudes and well-being, a large amount

focuses on officer stress, turnover, absenteeism, and burnout (Butler et al., 2019; Lambert,

2010; Lambert et al., 2010). Some studies found that working with an incarcerated popula-

tion can lead to greater levels of burnout and stress (Garland et al., 2012; Lambert et al.,

2010); however, other factors, such as organizational and administrative stressors, may be

more impactful (Butler et al., 2019; Cheek & Miller, 1983; Walters, 2022).

While it is important to study the factors that may negatively affect officer attitude and

well-being, it is equally—if not more—important to study the potential positive influences

of job attitudes and workplace factors. Examining the positive antecedents of officer well-

being can lead to a better understanding of how to enhance the workplace, foster positive

attitudes toward an organization, and improve both officer and organizational well-being.

However, very few studies focus on how staff can positively contribute to organizational

success and how organizations can foster positive attitudes and behaviors which contribute

to organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). OCB goes beyond the administrative tasks of

a position. OCB encompasses the informal prosocial behaviors that translate into extra

effort in the position that can reflect positively on the organization (Lambert et al., 2008;

Vázquez-Rodríguez et al., 2021). Using survey data from 442 correctional officers in two

states, the current study addressed these gaps in the literature by examining the applicability

of the job demands-resources theory on OCB as an outcome.

BACKGROUND

Studies of correctional officers’ well-being focus primarily on informal cultures adopted

in response to the stressors of the job and burnout (Eriksson, 2023; Finn, 2000; Finney

et al., 2013; Ricciardelli et al., 2024; Schaufeli & Peeters, 2000). Correctional work can

bring a “low social status” (Schaufeli & Peeters, 2000, p. 38) and is referred to as “dirty

work” or “tainted” because of the population correctional officers serve and the dangers of

the profession (Eriksson, 2023, p. 324). The internal perception of working a dirty profes-

sion can subsequently lead to the formation of varying workgroup cultures. For instance, a

series of interviews with Australian correctional staff and prisoners found that the stigma

associated with the “dirtiness” of the profession led to a strong “us versus them” mind-set

(Eriksson, 2023). Moreover, interviews conducted in an Atlantic Canadian province

revealed that correctional officers often felt that they were held publicly accountable by the